Chapter Two: Gendo's Confession

The next day, the three children reported to NERV HQ, as was their usual schedule on a Sunday morning. Everyone knew how much Gendo disliked going to church.

Duh.

Anyway, Misato was in the command center, looking out at the pictures of Rei, Shinji, and Asuka, eyes closed in their cockpits. Suddenly, Asuka opened her eyes.

" Misato-san, what is that noise?"

Misato looked at Ritsuko.

" What noise?"

Asuka cocked her head to one side, listening to the noise that was invading her cockpit.

" Don't you hear it?"

" No," replied Misato. " Shigeru, key in the speakers to the Eva Bay."

" Hai." ( translation: yes in Japanese)

Shigeru flipped a switch on the computer console, and suddenly was forced to plug his ears, as did everyone else in the room. Misato looked at Ritsuko.

" What the hell is that?!?!" she shouted.

" Oops, I did it again....la la la la la.....lalalalalalalala, oops, I did it again....."

Ritsuko ran to the monitoring station and typed in a command. Finally, after much deliberation, the Magi displayed the Eva Bay.

There, dancing like a mad fool, was Fuyutsuki, swinging a broom and singing. His tongue was hanging out and he began to nod his head up and down vigorously.

" Shut it off!!" Misato yelled. Shigeru turned off the speakers. " Commander Ikari, maybe you should, uh....." she said, letting the sentence hang. Gendo Ikari, the kind hearted man and loving father, (NOT!) stood up.

" Yes, it's all going according to schedule."

The fact that Misato had witnessed Gendo Ikari open his Power Ranger lunch box in the break room, pull out a sandwich, smile and then say " Ah, roast beef. It is all going according to schedule," gave that comment much less comfort than usual. Nevertheless, Gendo Ikari stood up and exited the room.

Misato looked back up at the screen and saw that Shinji had now opened his eyes from all the commotion.

" Don't worry, it's all been resolved," comforted Misato. Shinji looked down at his display.

" How's Ayanami doing?"

Ritusko looked at the computer console.

" Hmmm.....that's funny. She's registering ok, but she hasn't opened her eyes for about a half hour." She picked up the speaker and keyed it to Rei's cockpit. " Rei? Rei, are you allright?"

Rei did not open her eyes.

" Rei Ayanami? Can you hear me?"

No answer.

" Hyuga, prepare to open the cockpit. This is making me nervous," said Misato urgently. Hyuga nodded.

" Ayanami, answer me!" yelled Ritsuko.

No response.

" Open it up," said Misato. Hyuga began to type the command, then stopped. So did everyone else, for that matter. Because they had just heard Rei.

" Z.....z....z....z...."

Ritsuko stared blankly at the screen. Misato blinked. And chaos ensued throughout the GeoFront, due to questionable logic. After Misato had managed to settle everyone down, she turned her attention back to Rei.

" Rei......Rei....REI AYANAMI! WAKE UP!!!!"

Rei bolted upright in her seat, banging her head on the cockpit roof.

" What is it, Dr. Akagi?"

" You fell asleep, Rei," explained Ritsuko. Rei stared blankly.

" How odd."

" Um, yes. Are you feeling allright?"

Rei stared at the middle aged doctor. She could feel some sort of...feeling inside her, but being very unreceptive to most emotions, she wasn't sure what it was. She decided it was not worth mentioning.

" No, Dr. Akagi. I am fine."

" Allright, then," said Ritsuko, " then let us move on to the fight simulations."

The pilots were loaded into their Eva's, then into the holographic battle room. The walls shimmered, giving way to the setting of Tokyo-3.

" Allright, Hyuga, load scenario 32-A."

" Hai."

Inside the battle room, Sachiel, the third angel, appeared, in all his green glory. He stared at the Eva's. Shinji raised his gun.

" Fire!" yelled Misato.

BANGABANGABANG!

Sachiel stood in the same position, untouched. Misato stared. Ritsuko stared. Hyuga, Shigeru, and Maya all stared. And if Gendo were here, he would probably stare. However, Gendo rarely did anything else.

" Hyuga, is everything...er...normal?"

" Hai!"

" Can you say anything else but yes?"

" Hai."

Sachiel's hologram (?) slowly lumbered forward. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei all brought up their guns and took off the safety. It walked right up to Unit 01 and leaned forward.

" Er...Misato?" asked Shinji, staring at the Angel.

" Um....I dunno. Hyuga, why don't you turn off the power?"

" Hai."

" Would you shut the hell up and just speak English? Er, I mean.....Japanese.........?" She began to sweatdrop.

" Ha....yes."

Hyuga began to type commands, talking to Magi.

" Come on, Caspar....talk to me....."he murmured.

Suddenly, the screen flickered. Then, quite suddenly, the power shut off inside the command center. " Oops..." Hyuga whispered.

" Um...that's not good......." whispered Maya.

Inside the holographic battle room, Shinji was staring at the Angel, who in turn was staring back. Then, just as suddenly as the power going out, it attacked.

WHAM! It slammed it's arm into Unit 01's chest. Shinji and his Eva fell backwards and smashed into a building.

" What the hell? This isn't supposed to happen!!" yelled Asuka, raising her gun. She took careful aim at the Angel and fired a three burst, to no effect. Rei ran forward and tried tackling the living hologram. She passed right through it.

Meanwhile, inside the command center, Hyuga had managed to get power back to the Magi system.

" Dr. Akagi! There is a really odd...uh...oddity in the computer!"

Ritsuko ran forward and stared at the computer. She surveyed the situation, then muttered, " Uh oh." Misato hurried over and read the display. Maya and Shigeru also leaned forward. They could hardly believe the Magi's assessment.

Run while you can.

" Hmmm, me thinks we need Commander Gendo...." said Misato, sarcastically.

" Shigeru, can you get the display up from the inside of the holo room?

" I dunno, lemme see......"

The display screen popped on, revealing the three Eva's attempting (unsuccessfully) to stop the Angel. Holographic buildings were blowing apart here, holo-dirt was flying there, and pretty much chaos had ensued.

" Shinji! What is going on?!"

" I don't know Misato! It's- "

WHAM!

Shinji's face was replaced by static on the screen. Misato and Ritsuko looked at the screen, a deadpan look on their faces. Finally, the lights came on. they saw the battle room in full view. Unit 01 was on the floor, Unit 02 was in a rather large tree, and Unit 00 was nowhere in sight. Finally, Gendo Ikari re-entered the room.

" What is going on?" he asked. Misato and Ritsuko merely pointed to the window. Gendo stared. Then, he turned to the one man that could help.

" Fuyutsuki, stop the Angel."

Fuyutsuki stared at him.

" Excuse me?"

Gendo ran to the battle room door and opened it. He shoved in Fuyutsuki.

" I expect you to perform admirably!" he yelled, before shutting the door. He blocked out the screams in his mind as he made his way back to his desk. Hyuga looked up at him.

" Yes, Hyuga?"

" You-sa people gonna die?"

Finally, Shigeru shut off the hologram. Rei and her Eva stepped out from her a hiding place of a rather large building, and the other two children got to their feet. Gendo stood up and took control of the speakers.

" Rei, what were you doing, hiding like that?" Rei stared back.

" I.....I don't know, Commander." Gendo stared at her. He then turned to Ritsuko.

" Dr. Akagi, what happened?"

" The Magi, sir. It was the Magi. Some error with the hologram. However, it did flash a rather odd message." Gendo thought about it silently, then shrugged.

" Well, what can I say? It's all going according to schedule."

Misato and Ritsuko both facefaulted.

***

Later that afternoon, in the Eva locker room, the pilots, Misato, and Ritsuko were trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Suddenly, Gendo trotted in.

" Yes, Gendo?" asked Ritsuko, expectantly.

" Well, according to the title of the chapter, I am required to confess something," he explained. He took a deep breath. " I drink from the carton." He then turned and left.

Everybody sweatdropped.